Draw the Line

Starred review from February 22, 2016
In this thoughtful drama, a gay teen navigates the treacherous social landscape of his small-town Texas high school, confronting homophobia and his own reluctance to publicly embrace his identity. Adrian Piper lives for his art, especially his “secret superhero creation,” Graphite, a Renaissance-art-inspired, outwardly gay character who has romanticized adventures with stylized versions of Adrian’s best friends. In the real world, Adrian just wants to make it to graduation. After he stands up to bullies assaulting another gay student, Adrian discovers that he’s no longer content to slip under the radar. As he attempts to fight injustice through art and quiet action, he finds his inner strength and realizes that things aren’t as simple as they seem. Linn, an art director at Simon & Schuster, makes a powerful debut with this empathic page-turner, for which he also supplies dramatic pencil illustrations that believably represent Adrian’s Graphite comics. A diverse cast and an emotionally rich plot make this a gripping journey of self-discovery, romance, art making, and justice. Ages 12–up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

Starred review from March 1, 2016
At the risk of revealing his closeted sexuality and artistic talent, a Texas wallflower combats small minds. Adrian Piper dresses to hide. Innocuous palette, faded jeans, a hoodie: disappearing = safety at Rock Hollow High, where Bubbas with a penchant for pickups and longnecks are the dominant species. Adrian's escape from aggressive heteronormativity is "the feel of a 3B pencil skimming across the paper's surface." The result of said skimming: a gay superhero named Graphite with a flair for Renaissance couture and a longing for love. (Adrian's artwork as drawn by Linn peppers the pages.) Outside of artwork, Adrian finds comfort in two close friends, outspoken Audrey and goth Trent (both know Adrian's secrets). When outwardly gay and not-so-invisible Kobe is brutally attacked by a brutish football star, Adrian risks exposing his own identity to intervene. Identifying as LGBTQ can force accelerated maturity: allegiances shift, social repercussions abound, and the hopeful search for others like you begins. All of these waves of evolution are braved as Adrian morphs from timid shadow to burgeoning Norma Rae. A diverse landscape (white, black, Protestant, Jewish, plus-size, skinny, middle class, wealthy) is robust rather than a flat reaction to pleads for diversity. A definite draw for comic-book fans, it will resonate with anyone struggling with a concealed or revealed identity. More defiant than its superhero's diaphanous costume portends. Bravo. (Fiction. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Gay, geeky, artistic: all traits that Adrian feels he has to hide to make it through the day in his Texas high school. His sanctuary is his graphic novel, published anonymously online, which he hasn't even shared fully with his closest friends. When he steps up to aid a boy who can't help but attract the kind of attention Adrian is trying so hard to avoid, all his secrets start coming out. Enlivened with expressive art, this debut novel beautifully captures the voice of a teen walking the line of being out to his friends but not anyone else. Adrian is intensely likable, and the exploration of the "gay but not that kind of gay" place many people inhabit respects the reasoning and punctures the internalized homophobia in naturalistic, nonpreachy ways. The swoony romance is a delightful lightener of the story. There is also a nuanced dive into the complexities of being honest online. How Adrian speaks his truth affects the people he depicts, a consideration that we all must make in the confessional digital age. Unfortunately, while Adrian and his white male classmates are quite richly drawn (even the bullies), his friend Audrey is painted in broad sassy-black-sidekick strokes. VERDICT A welcome addition to collections depicting LGBTQ youth, but not an essential text.-L. Lee Butler, Hart Middle School, Washington, DC

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2016
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* What to know about Adrian? Well, he is 16; he is gay, though only his two best friends know it; he is diffident and welcomes his ability to fade into the background; and he is the creator of Graphite, a gay superhero whose illustrated adventures he posts on an anonymous websiteand which are integrated into the novel's text to dramatically good effect. Meanwhile, Adrian is busy with adventures of his own, beginning the night he observes an openly gay boy being attacked by the star of the football team and attempts a rescue. Suddenly Adrian is plucked from obscurity, becoming a potential target of the bully himself. Since, like Graphite, Adrian is about creating, not killing, he draws the incident and posts it on his website. But is that enough to bring the bully to justice? At the same time, our hero discovers a secret about Lev, the gorgeous boy who sits behind him in French class. Despite a slow start and some early problems with motivation, Linn's compelling story doesn't let go of the reader. While it's ingeniously plotted, its best aspect is its characterization, especially its multidimensional treatment of Adrian and his friends; they come alive and drive the narrative to its satisfying conclusion. Readers will be both impressed and delighted.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)